Firefox and retrieving height set to "auto"

[Piotr K]

Hi,

I've encountered a strange problem with Firefox which I don't have any
idea how to resolve. To the point: I've <div> element with a style
"height: auto" and I want to retrieve this value ("auto") in
JavaScript - however instead of getting "auto" value, I get calculated
height. In IE and Opera it simply returns "auto".

Any ideas how to check in Firefox if element height was set to
"auto" ? I'll be grateful for any help.

Thanks,
Piotr

 

[Martin Honnen]

I've encountered a strange problem with Firefox which I don't have any
idea how to resolve. To the point: I've <div> element with a style
"height: auto" and I want to retrieve this value ("auto") in
JavaScript - however instead of getting "auto" value, I get calculated
height. In IE and Opera it simply returns "auto".

I think you need to provide a code sample, in this example
<http://home.arcor.de/martin.honnen/javascript/2007/07/test2007072101.html>
Firefox outputs "style.height: auto" for me.

 

[David Mark]

Hi,

I've encountered a strange problem with Firefox which I don't have any
idea how to resolve. To the point: I've <div> element with a style
"height: auto" and I want to retrieve this value ("auto") in
JavaScript - however instead of getting "auto" value, I get calculated
height. In IE and Opera it simply returns "auto".

Any ideas how to check in Firefox if element height was set to
"auto" ? I'll be grateful for any help.

It depends on how you set and retrieve it. I assume you are
retrieving the computed style of a statically positioned element. In
that case you will have to put up with whatever the browser decides to
return. The various browsers often disagree on computed styles. As I
recall, Opera will add the border dimensions in some cases, which is
just wrong.

I can't understand why you would want to retrieve the value of "auto"
as it is the least informative result. What are you trying to
accomplish?

 

[Piotr K]

I think you need to provide a code sample, in this example
<http://home.arcor.de/martin.honnen/javascript/2007/07/test2007072101....>
Firefox outputs "style.height: auto" for me.

Well, when "height: auto" is set directly in "style" attribute then it
returns "auto". The problem appears when "height: auto" is set in
external .css file.

 

[Piotr K]

It depends on how you set and retrieve it. I assume you are
retrieving the computed style of a statically positioned element. In
that case you will have to put up with whatever the browser decides to
return. The various browsers often disagree on computed styles. As I
recall, Opera will add the border dimensions in some cases, which is
just wrong.

I can't understand why you would want to retrieve the value of "auto"
as it is the least informative result. What are you trying to
accomplish?

What I try to do, is setting the same height value for two elements.
If first element has "height: auto", then second must also have
"height: auto". Why? Because in FF element with fixed height won't
adjust height to it's content, while IE will (and I can't set display:
table for FF).

 

[David Mark]

What I try to do, is setting the same height value for two elements.
If first element has "height: auto", then second must also have
"height: auto". Why? Because in FF element with fixed height won't
adjust height to it's content,

It isn't supposed to.

while IE will (and I can't set display:

In quirks mode I think.

I still don't understand the problem exactly. But you are stuck
unless you use inline style (as in the previously posted example.)
What is it that you are trying to write?